Engine-starting apparatus



@ct.13,1925. v I 1,557,199

F. J. HARDMAN ENGINE I STARTING APPARATUS Filed April 28, 1924 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Oct.13,1925. 1557,19

F. JFHARDMAN ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS I Filed April 28, 4 2 Sheefs-Shet 2 Patented @ct. E35, @250 FREDETUTCK'J. HARDMAN, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, AESIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTORS (70H,- POB-ATION, A CORPORATION Oh DELA'WARE.

ENGrIIlE-STARTITTG APPARATUS.

v Application filed April 8, 19%. hematite. 709,353.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. Hano- MAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, county cit Mont nicely, and State of Ohio, have invente certain new and useful Improvements in EngineStarting Apparatus, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, particularly to a type of apparatus including an electric motor operatlng a gear, which is movable axially into engagement with a gear connected with the engine such as the engine flywheel gear.

Among the objects of the invention are the connecting of the motor gear with the .engine gear and the operating the motor by manual operation; for example, by means of a starting lever, and the demeshing of the motor gear from the engine, gear automaticallywhen the engine starts, regardless of whether the starting lever is still maintained in engine starting position. In order to accomplish these-objects the invention includes an electric motor which drives a spirally splined or threaded shaft carrying a motor gear which is axially and longitudinally movable with respect to this shaft. The motor gear is moved along the shaft manually by means of a shifting lever which isoperated by a pedal. provided for automatically controlling the connection between the pedal and shifting lever so that after the motorrgear is connected with the engine gear and the motor switch is closed, the connection between the pedal and the shifting lever is weakened by shortening the leverage of the pedal with respect to the shifting lever so that, although the. operating pedal isheld down, the engine will automatically demesh the motor gear from the engine flywheel gear 7 when the engine becomes self-operative.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

1 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side in section, of a starting motor and gearing including a form of the invention, the ap- Means are View partly paratus being! in normal or inoperative condition.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showin the condition of the apparatusat the time the motor switch is first closed.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the apparatus in condition for engine cranklng.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the apparatus after the engine has become self-operative and has demeshed the motor gear from its llywheel gear, although the operating pedal is held down.

Referring to the drawings, 20 designates an electric motor includin a field frame 21 and an end frame 22 which supports an armature shaft 23 provided with spiral splines fl land a sto 25. The splined porthi gear 26 attached to a grooved collar 2*? which is engaged by pin 28 carried by the bifurcations 29 of a lever 30 which is pivoted at 31. A spring 32 attached to the frame 22 and to the lever 30 tends to hold said lever in position shown in Fig. 1. Lever 30, pins 28 and the collar 27 constitute means for transmitting, motion from the pedal to be described to the motor gear 26. g

The mechanism for transmitting motion from the foot of the operator to the lever 30 will now be described. The lever 30 is provided with a slot 33 for receiving a roller 34 carried by pin 35 attached to a yoke 36 which straddles the lever 30 and is'mounted on the lower end of a rod 37. Rod 37 slides within a sleeve 38 which is pivotally attachedto a pedal 39. A bushing 40 attached to the floor board 41 of a vehicle providesa guide for the sleeve 38 and perfrom the osrtion shown in Fig. 1 to that gaged bya notch 68 included in the slot' 33.

in mesh with the engine flywheel 'the motor switch will have been close The 43 with the bushing 40. A collar- 48 which is adjustably connected with the sleeve 38 by a set screw 49 limits the downward movement of the sleeve 38. A in 50 extends across the central bore 0 sleeve 38 and into a slot 51 provided in the rod 37. A spring 52 interposed between the-yoke 36 and the sleeve 38 tends to separate the sleeve from the yoke, but this separation is limited when the pin 50 engages the upper end of the slot 51 of the rod 37. It is therefore apparent in Fig. 1 that the spring 42 is strong enough to maintain the roller 34 in the position shown in Fig. 1, although at this time the roller 34 is engaged by a pawl pivoted at 61; The spring 62 bear ng at 63 against the end frame 22 and at 64 against the pawl 60 tends to yieldingl press the pawl 60 against the roller 34 an tends to oppose the movement of the roller 34 into position shown in Fig. 1'. As shown m Fig. 2 the pivots 31 and 61 are supported by lugs 65 and 66 extending from'the motor end frame 22. A pin 67 limits the clockwise rotation of pawl 60.

lows: The operator pushes the pedal 39 shown in igs. 4 and 5. This 0 ration of pedal 39 causes the roller 34"to rst'be en- The pressure exerted by pedal 39 through the spring 52 tends to maintain the roller 34 in the notch 68, although the lever 60 tends to move the roller out of the notch 68. By the time the motor gear 26 is partially) ear condition is indicated in Fig. 3 showing the contacts 46 and 47 to be connected by the contact 43. At this vinstant the motor will become operative and will cause the motor car 26 to move from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4 which is against the stop 25. Thereafter the gear 26 will begin to crank the engine by turning the flywheel gear 70. After the motor is energ1zed, pressure between the pedal 39 and the lever 29 is relieved becausethe motor threads the gear 26 into mesh with the engine gear 70 regardless of downward pressure on the pedal 39. Therefore when the motor begins to operate the lever- 30 will tend to'relieve the notch 68 from the roller 34. When this occurs the spring actuated lever 60 willmove the roller 34 into the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby causing the rod 37 and sleeve 38 to oscillatein the bushing 40. This tendency to. oscillate the rod 37 in a counterclockwise direction is assisted b the operator since the pedal 39 is It is therefore apparent that the leverage or v moment of the pressure exerted by the pedal with the end faces of teeth of 39 upon the lever 30 has been reduced to substantially zero at the time the engine is being cranked as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore when the engine becomes self-operative pressure upon the pedal 39 will not hinder the automatic demeshment of the motor gear 1 26 when the engine becomes self-operative.

The slot 33 of lever 30 is shaped so that it.

sleeve 38 and the rod 37 to move upwardly.

During the upward movement the surface 33 bounding the slot 33 causes the roller 34 to be cammed into normal position. This movement-of roller 34 from the position shown in Fig. 5-to that'shown in Fig. 1 is resisted slightly by the spring pressed lever The operation of the invention is. as fol- 60. The spring 42 is strong enough, howift the rod 37 and sleeve 38 from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 4 after the roller 34 has been re-' 'lieved from the notch 68.

In case the-teeth of gear 26 should collide ear 70 and tend to prevent movement of t e lever 30, the spring '52 will permit further movement of the sleeve 38 to connect the motor switch contacts 46 and 47 As soon as the motor starts the teeth of the; gear 26 will be brought into registry with the tooth s aces of gear 70.

-In case the engine shoul fail to start Y after having been connected'with the startmg motor as shownin-Fig. 4, the motor to allow the'contact 43 to'be disengaged from the contact 47 Consequently the starting motor'will be disconnected from the storage battery although the motormay be switch .can be open because the slot 33 is still mechanically connected with the engine.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms .Imijght be adopted,

all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. '1 Wh "at' I claim is as follows:

1'; Enginestarting apparatus comprising, 1 in combination, an engine having a gear; a

motor and shaft driven thereby; a motor operated gear movable into mesh with the engine gear; manual means for entering the motor gear mto mesh w th the engine gear and for causing the .motor' to operate the shaft; means connecting the shaft and motor gear and adapted to cause the motor gear to be operated by the motor into engagement. with the engine gear independently of opera tion by the manual means, said means tending to cause demeshment of the motor gear from the engine gear when the engine becomes self-operative; and means for weakening the effect upon the motor gear of'the .inoving force exerted by the manual means after the motor starts, whereby automatic demeshment of the motor gear may take place regardless of manipulation of the manual means.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in combination, an engine having a, gear; a

motor and shaft driven thereby; a motor operated gear movable into mesh ;with the engine gear; manual means for-entering the notor gear into mesh with the engine gear and for causing the motor to operate the shaft; means connecting the shaftfand motor gear and adapted to cause the motor gear to be operated by the motor into engagement with the engine gear independently of operation by the manual means, said means tending to cause demeshment of the motor gear from the engine gear when the engine becomes self-operative; and means for decreasing the leverage upon the motor gear of the moving force exerted by the manual 7 means after the motor starts, whereby automatic demeshment of the motor gear may take place regardless of manipulation of the manual means.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in co-mblnation, an engine having a gear; a motor and shaft driven thereby; a motor operated gear movable into mesh with the engine gear; manual means for entering the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear and for causing the motor to operate the shaft, said means including a motor gear shifting lever and a pedalconnected therewith; means connecting the shaftandmotor gear and adapted to cause the motor gear to be operated by the motor into engagement with the engine gear independently of operation by the manual means, said means tend- '.ng to cause demeshment of the motor gear from the engine gear when the engine bc comes self-operative; and means for' decreasing the leverage of the pedal with re spect to the'shifting lever-after the motor starts, whereby automatic demeshment of the motor gear may take place regardless of manipulation of the pedal.

j 4. Engine starting apparatus,comprising,

-in combination, an englne'having a gear;

a motor and a shaft driven thereby; a motor gear spirally splined to the motor shaft; manual means for entering the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear and for causing the motor to operate the shaft, whereby the motor will eft'ectmeshment of the motor gear and engine) gear independently of the operation of the manual means; and means for weakening the effect upon the motor gear of the moving force exerted by the manual means after the motor starts, whereby automatic demeshment ofthe motor gear maytake place regardless of manipulation of the manual means.

5. Enginestarting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear;

a motor and a shaft driven thereby; a motor may take place regardless of manipulation of the manual means.

6. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in combination, an engine having a gear;

a motor and a shaft driven thereby; a motor gear spirally splined to the motor shaft; manual means for entering the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear and for causing the motor to, operate the shaft,

whereby themotor will effect meshment of the motor gear and engine gear independently of the operation of the manual means,

said means including a motor gear shifting lever and a pedal connected therewith; and

means for decreasing the leverage, of the pedal with respect to the shifting lever after the motor starts, whereby automatic demesh ment of the motor gear may take place regardless of manipulation of the pedal.

7. Engine starting apparatus comprisin in combination, an engine having a gear; a motor and a shaft driven thereby; a motor gear spirally splined to the motor shaft; manual means for entering the motor gear into meshwith the engine gear and for' causing the motor to operate the shaft, whereby the motor will effect meshment of the motor gear andengine gear independ ently of the operation of the manual means, said-means including a motor gear shifting lever and a pedal connected therewith; and a spring pressed member in the path of movement of the pedal and tending to urge the pedal in a direction to decrease the leverage of the pedal with respect to the shifting lever, the connections between the lever and pedal being such as to resist the decrease of leverage until the motor begins to move the pinion endwise.

8. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an engine having a gear; a motor and a shaft driven thereby; a motor gear spirally splined to the motor shaft;

manual means for entering the motor gear into mesh with the engine ear and for causing the motor to operate t e shaft, whereby the motor will effect meshmentof the motor gear and engine gear independentlyof the operation of the manual means, said means including a motor gear shifting leverand a pedal connected therewith, the pedal including a rod having endwise and swinging movements, the connection between the rod and lever including a part attached to the rod and engaging a notch in a part attached to the lever; and a spring pressed lever located in the path of movement of the rod part for moving the rod toward the axis of the lever, the rod and lever parts being so operated gear movable intomesh with the engine gear; manual means for entering the motor gear into mesh with the engine gear and Qfor causing the motor to operate the shaft; means connecting the shaft and motor ar and ada ted to'cause the motor gear to operated y the motor into engagement with theien gine gear independently of operation by the manual means, said means tending to cause demeshment of the'motor gear from the engine gear when the engine be-' comes self-operative; andmeans including a spring actuated member released for action by the operation of the motor for weakenmg the effect upon the motor gear of the moving force exerted by the manual means, whereby automatic demeshment of the motor gear ma take place regardless of manipulation o the manual means.

" In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

FREDERICK J. HARDMAN. 

